Real beauty is backed up by science. How Lindsay van der Looij’s scientific approach to anti-aging created a revolutionary skincare brand
Building a business doesn’t happen overnight. Let alone run a beauty empire. We asked skin expert and cosmetic entrepreneur Lindsay van der Looij the secret behind her groundbreaking skincare LABAREAU and the lessons she learned along the way.
“Growing up as the daughter of a mom with a hairsalon, the beauty industry already had my interest when I was still attending high school. I always joined my mother on her visits to her favourite perfume store, where I was simply mesmerized by the appealing looks of the luxurious fragrances and high-end skincare brands. After graduating, I started working in sales at our local perfume store while offering beauty treatments from home. When I moved to Amsterdam it was time for the next step and I opened my own skin clinic: Bloy Institute.” It was right here at Bloy where Lindsay discovered the great demand for anti-aging skincare treatments that give you that desired youthful glow and plumped-up looking skin. “Instead of merely having expensive anti-aging treatments done at clinics, I wanted to reward the loyalty of my customers with products to take home specifically aimed to slow down the visible effects of aging.”
Out of all skincare goals, why did you choose to focus on anti-aging in particular?
“Because I needed this product myself! As I got older I noticed how there was no skincare brand on the market that hydrates my skin while giving my skin more collagen, except for those heavy treatments at clinics that make you peel for a week. Of course I knew of medical brands that promised anti-aging effects, but those were missing the luxurious look and feel of the products I always loved so much during my days in the perfume store.” By combining her twenty years of experience with the power of science, Lindsay was able to develop a skincare line based on a revolutionary formula which remains Amsterdam’s best-kept secret until this very day. With the launch of LABAREAU, she has not only changed the skin, but also the lives of many women who use her products. “Skin has a big impact on self-confidence and perceived physical skin imperfections can affect mental health. It brings me joy when my customers tell me I don’t only make them look better, but especially make them feel better too.”
You developed Labareau together with a team of scientists. Can you tell us more about the days in the laboratory?
“After conducting extensive research in the labs together with a team of experts, I was able to introduce the pioneering formula that drives LABAREAU’s success: the SAXZ-12® technology. Yet this process took time. In total, I spent three years developing and perfectioning the formulas for my skincare products.” Lindsay tested out many different samples, each with a different combination of ingredients. “When developing the right formula, I knew I wanted to mix a different percentage of active ingredients together. A much higher concentration of ingredients. My biochemist first told me this wouldn’t be a logical combination, as she had never mixed such high percentages when working with other skincare brands. When we tested my mixture, it turned out to be the golden formula to achieve the desired anti-aging results.” After developing Labareau’s potential formula, Lindsay spent time clinically testing her new product in order to ensure it was safe to use even on the most sensitive skin. When all the results indicated her new formula was free from harm, Lindsay’s secret SAXZ-12® technology was born, based on a mix of bovine collagen, hyaluronic acid and peptides.
What was the biggest challenge of launching your own skincare line?
“Developing my brand right in the midst of the Covid pandemic was definitely my biggest struggle. I was unable to visit packaging suppliers to pick out the right look for the LABAREAU bottles; all work was done completely from zoom instead of visiting suppliers in real life. The covid rules also stopped me from visiting the laboratory as often as I would have wanted. Even our official launch had to be organised according to the covid rules. However, even your biggest challenges can have a positive outcome. The pandemic forced Labareau to have an online focus, which now results in a much more international audience. Now all products are either bought online or at one of our exclusive selling points.”
As an entrepreneur, what is the most important lesson learnt of launching your own brand?
“To always listen to your own gut feeling. Always pursue what you think is right and what your years of experience indicate is the best thing to do. That is exactly what I did when developing Labareau’s formula and pioneering a new concentration of ingredients. Also, you should always believe in your own strength and success. But remember that this takes time; becoming a successful entrepreneur simply doesn’t happen overnight. I stay true to my vision and initial plan, which is for Labareau to remain an exclusive skincare brand. That’s why I say no to requests from salons all the time. I want my product to be sold at the most luxurious and exclusive outlets only, just like I had in mind from the beginning. And most importantly, I believe you always have a plan for the future - at least for the next five years so you know what you want and need to work on.”
The exclusive and easy-to-use skincare line of Lindsay van der Looij features eight different products all aimed to minimize the visible effects of aging. With the line of collagen-boosting day and night- serums and rich, nourishing creams, the appearance of pores, wrinkles and fine lines will significantly reduce. Eventually the skin looks more radiant, younger and smoother, which in turn results in many happy customers. “Giving my clients what they wanted has been the most rewarding feeling throughout this journey. There is nothing wrong with a bit of vanity. Wanting to look good and trying to become the best version of ourselves is so much more than simply aesthetics. In the end I think we can all agree that improving what’s on the surface, nourishes the inside too.”